‘Not for everyone’: Sony announces its most premium wired earbuds yet, but their ideal utility case is nothing if not niche

Sony announces the new Sony IER-M500
Its most premium wired buds yet
Designed for aspiring musicians more than average listeners

Sony: big name in the wireless audio space, with the WH-1000XM6 headphones getting rave reviews from us, but not so much of a player in the wired headphone game.

Sony barely gets a mention on our list of best wired headphones, and to be honest, the company’s latest wireless earbuds (see the Sony WF-1000XM6) and open-fit offerings haven’t gone straight to the top of the pile either.

However, given that the company is basically single-handedly keeping the headphone jack alive in smartphones, it makes sense that this could change. Enter the Sony IER-M500, new wired buds from the company.

Monitor this

Three pairs of Sony IER-M500 on a black background.

(Image credit: Sony)

As with most other IEMs, the IER-M500 consists of a small in-ear bud which connects to a 1.6m cable, and this ends in a 3.5mm jack plug.

The ear piece is clearly designed to fit (while your guitar gently cries and so on). Each bud has a “custom support” to keep it firmly in the ear, and they have a “thin polyurethane wall” to block out background noise. In Sony’s press release, said fit improvements were described before any sonic specs.

They come in clear, black or red-blue, choices that Sony says are designed to “complement your outfit on stage,” which is one of the reasons (along with their still affordable price) I’d say these are aimed at new musicians, rather than seasoned pros.

Sony also goes to great lengths to describe how they will survive extended use without the constant switching on and off of the buttons wearing them down.

As for the sound itself, the buds have a 5mm driver, with an acoustic chamber designed to create controlled bass. The frequency response is 10Hz-40kHz and there is a 16-ohm impedance.

Sony has made IEMs before, with some, like the IER-M9, costing over ten times as much. But with wired earbuds making a comeback, it seems the company has decided now is the perfect time to offer some affordable ones.